The present invention relates to sling-type chairs and, more particularly, to such chairs as adapted to meet the needs of handicapped individuals.
Sling-type chairs have been known for a good number of years. Prior to the advent of contemporary tubular aluminum lawn furniture with plastic webbing, canvas slings adjustably supported by a wooden frame having a horizontal bar at either end was a common item of outdoor furniture.
A basic sling-type assembly such as that shown in FIG. 1 has found continued acceptance for use with the handicapped. In particular, children affected with various handicaps are maintained securely and avoid injury when cradled in such a chair of fabric, netting, or the like. Moreover, such chairs are lightweight and easily cleaned. While many variations are available, the prior art chairs available generally are such as that indicated generally as 10 in FIG. 1. Chair 10 comprises a unitary metal frame 12 adapted to sit on a horizontal surface 14 as with the suction cups 16. The frame 12 includes a horizontal bottom member 18 and a horizontal top member 20 disposed above the bottom member 18. For added rigidity, a pair of side members 22 are disposed between opposite ends of the bottom member 18 and top member 20. As can be seen, bottom member 18, top member 20, and side members 22 bound a generally rectangular area supported by the balance of frame 12 at about a 30-degree angle with the horizontal. A fabric body 24 is connected between the top and bottom members 18, 20 and side members 22 as shown. Fabric body 24 is disposed loosely to form a sling "pocket" wherein the individual can be safely placed.
For example, an individual 26 is shown in partially cut-away simplified view in FIG. 2 in a chair 10 such as that of FIG. 1 being disposed within a bathtub 28 containing water 30.
As can be seen, the chair 10 of FIGS. 1 and 2 has several drawbacks, particularly when employed in bathing the individual 26 as shown in FIG. 2. For example, bottom member 18 pushes on the back of the knees of the individual 26, which can be detrimental to handicapped individuals with poor circulation. Moreover, many handicapped individuals, because of their particular handicap, tend to contort their legs such that washing between the legs and in the genital area is quite difficult. Moreover, as can be seen, the fabric body 24 is disposed between the head and hair of the individual 26 and the water 30 in the bathtub 28. Consequently, washing the hair of the individual 26 is particularly difficult.
Moreover, as can be seen, while simple and easy to construct, a unitary construction such as that of the chair 10 is difficult to store.
Wherefore, it is the object of the present invention to provide an orthopedic chair for handicapped individuals which is foldable for storing, adjustable between positions, provides a leg separation and holding function, and provides means for easily washing the hair of an individual in the chair.